Lemont Cross Country Teams To Be Represented At IHSA State Finals

LEMONT, IL — For the first time in five years, both of head coach Tim Plotke’s Lemont High School cross country programs will be represented in state finals competition. Lemont’s girls’ squad finished third at the IHSA Wheaton Academy Sectional on Oct. 28 to earn its fourth straight state finals berth, while junior Andrew Deuschle advanced to boys’ state finals competition as an individual. Lemont will compete at the 2017 IHSA Class 2A State Finals, which will be contested on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Detweiller Park in Peoria.

The school said Lemont placed third in the girls’ team standings at the IHSA Wheaton Academy Sectional, which was held at Kress Creek Farms in West Chicago. Senior Beata Drozda was the team’s top finisher, crossing the line for the 3-mile race 13th overall in a time of 20:01. Junior Julianne McClatchy (17th; 20:08), senior Jacey Schickel (23rd; 20:16), sophomore Cassie Hamilton (30th; 20:31) and freshman Kailey Wasyliw (37th; 20:44) rounded out the team’s top five.

Lemont won the IHSA Marist Regional, which was held at Midlothian Meadows in Midlothian on Oct. 21, by virtue of a tiebreaker, according to the school. Schickel (5th; 20:04), sophomore Marin Schiffman(8th; 20:20) and Drozda (10th; 20:28) all earned all-regional accolades. The Indians won their fourth straight regional crown, and the program’s seventh regional overall. Its previous regional crowns came in 1991, 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015 and 2016. It won sectional titles in 2008, 2014 and 2016.

Lemont will be making its tenth team state finals appearance in girls’ cross country. According to LHS, after making its initial appearance in 1991, it advanced to state finals competition five straight years from 2007-2011, and again each year from 2014-16. Its best team state finals finish was a fourth-place showing in 2014.

LHS said Taylor Campos ‘16 is Lemont’s top state finals finisher ever on a 3-mile course; she earned all-state honors by crossing the line 23rd overall in a school-record time of 17:56 in 2014. Nikole Hoster ‘98 placed 12th on a 2-mile course at the 1996 IHSA Class AA State Finals to mark the program’s best individual state finals finish.

Deuschle placed 15th individually at the IHSA Wheaton Academy Sectional, covering the 3-mile course in 16:41.7. He will be Lemont’s first state finals competitor in boys’ cross country since 2012, the school said.

Lemont’s boys’ cross country team finished as the runner-up at the IHSA Marist Regional on Oct. 21. Deuschle was the Indians’ top finisher, placing third with a time of 16:43.9. Senior Ryan Freitag (6th; 17:04.3) and junior Lucas Zaczek (9th; 17:20.0) also earned all-regional honors by finishing among the top ten individually, according to LHS.

LHS said Andrew Adelmann ‘02 is Lemont’s top state finals finisher in boys’ cross country, having placed 37th at the 2001 IHSA Class AA State Finals. Lemont again won the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division girls’ cross country title this fall, while the boys’ squad placed third in the SSC Blue.

The IHSA will host both boys’ and girls’ state finals competition in three classes at Detweiller Park on Nov. 4. The girls’ Class 2A race begins at 11 a.m., while the boys’ race starts at noon. The Class 2A awards ceremony is set for 1 p.m.

Photos provided by Lemont High School.